Ala Moana Bowls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s going on for this stretch.

We got one spot in the mix: Ala Moana Bowls (Oahu). Truth is, the whole sixteen-day window is a pretty tough read. There’s never a moment where the stars truly align. The wind is stuck in E to ENE pretty much all the time, and while it’s mostly cross-offshore—which cleans things up—the swell doesn’t play ball with the quality we really need for a proper session here. The water temp is 81.3°, which is right where it should be for this time of year, so no thermal surprises, but that doesn’t make up for the lack of real fire. The whole period is riddled with marginal conditions and poor scores, so you’re really hunting for scraps.

We kick off on Tuesday, August 25th. A 5.6 ft ENE swell rolls in with a short period of just 7 seconds and combined energy of 529 (moderate energy). Wind is a fresh 22 mph from ENE, cross-off. It’s clean-ish but the short period means lumpy, weak lines. That’s the first bit of swell, but it’s not worth paddling out for.

Moving into Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th, we see a shift. The swell drops right down to 2.3 ft and switches direction to SSW, then S—which is the optimum direction for this break. The period stretches way out to 14, 17, even 18 seconds. Energy jumps to the 600-850 mark. That’s proper groundswell potential, very long period. However, the height is tiny. With that kind of period, these long lines need a decent push to wrap in cleanly, and they just don’t have it here. You might see some glassy, lined-up waves on the reefs, but they’ll be small. For the real surfers, it might be frustratingly small, though clean. For a longboard or a funboard, there could be a fun session Wednesday morning or Thursday morning if you’re patient. Still, we’re talking marginal at best, with the cross-off wind keeping the surface smooth.

Friday the 28th through to Tuesday, September 1st, sees the swell swing back to a short-period, choppy ENE at 4.9 ft to 5.6 ft with 7 to 8 second bites. Energy fluctuates between 467 and 795. This is not ideal. Wave quality is consistently poor. The wind stays fresh, 19-22 mph, cross-off, but the combo of short period ENE and not much else makes the reef feel mushy and unsurfable for any real turns. Kite surfers might have more fun here.

Then we get a shift on Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, September 4th. The ENE swell builds to 6.9 ft to 7.5 ft, still short period at 8 seconds though. Energy climbs to 928 then 860. That’s a solid push—moderate to strong. But with that short period and 22-25 mph cross-off wind, it’s going to be a bumpy, blown-out mess. It’s too big for beginners (over 4.9 ft) and will be unruly for experienced surfers too. Conditions remain poor. Hard pass.

The best chance might come around September 5th to 8th. Saturday, September 5th afternoon brings a jump in energy to 1373 (strong) with a 6.6 ft ENE swell period jumping to 12 seconds. Wind is 25 mph from ENE—still strong but cross-off. That’s a bigger, longer period groundswell. It’s a bit of a standout. The combined energy is strong. This could push some real lines into the reef. But the quality is still listed as marginal, and the wind is strong. It won't be clean.

Sunday, September 6th gets interesting. Energy stays strong at 1310-1433, 5.9 ft to 5.6 ft at 12 seconds from ENE. Wind drops to a more manageable 12-16 mph (moderate breeze). On Sunday morning it’s cross-shore with a cross-chop, but Sunday afternoon it cleans up to cross-off. That afternoon session on the 6th looks like the absolute best offering: a solid groundswell, clean cross-off wind, strong energy. This is the one to pencil in.

The tail end, September 7th to 9th, pulls back a bit.

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